Safety device for spare tires



Feb. 22 1927.

H. H. HANTON SAFETY DEVICE FOR SPARE TIRES Filed March 11. 1926 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,618,924 PATENT, OFFICE.

HENRY I-I. I-IANTON, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR -TO FRAIM-SLAY- 'MAKER HARDWARE 60., INQ, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

'SAFETY DEVICE FOR SPARE TIRES.

Application filed March 11, 1926. a Serial no. 94,090.

This invention relates, to devices for securing tires to spare tire carriers sov as to prevent them from being stolen, and more particularly to safety devices for spare tire carriers of the 1926 Ford car type.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, efiicient and inexpensive device of the character referred to for locking a spare tire to a spare tire carrier in such manneras to effectually secure the tire to the carrler so that it cannot be removed from the carrier by any one except the owner orhis representative having a key with which to unlock a padlock forming a part of .the safety device.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and th-enpointed out in the claims at the end of the description. I

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view one. reduced scale of a broken away portion of a spare tire carrier and tire with a rim having apertured lugs thereon, one of which is secured to one arm of the tri-armed carrier which is similar to the Spare tire carrier used on the newrl926 Ford cars, the sparetire being secured on the'carrier by an improved safety device embodying my in vention; and,

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of broken away portions of a spare tire carrier and a tire and rim with a lug secured to ohe arm of a tri-armed carrier and an apertured button-like device or cleat secured to the lug, together with a peculiarly form-ed shackle forming an element of the safety device arranged in different positions with respect. to said arm and illustrating the mode of applying the shackle and inserting one of its limbs in a hole in the cleat; the two limbs of the shackle being adapted to be inserted in holes through a padlock case containing suitable mechanism for locking the limbs of the shackle within the case and thereby locking the tire to the carrier, so as to prevent the tire from being removed without unlocking the padlock, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a padlock having a peculiarly formed shackle forming a part of my improved safety device.

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference charactersare used to denote corresponding parts in different views, the letter Adenotes a portion ofa spare tire carrier, which, in the form shown, is of the tri-armedv type used on 1926 Ford cars; said carrier having an arm or frame-bar a of greater width than thickness, so that itis substantially "oblong form in cross-section and hasits lower end abutting against the lower inner part of the rim of a tire mounted thereon, said arm being secured to an apertured lug 0 on the rim by means of a bolt B having a nut I) screwed thereon. The upper portion of the tire rests upon'suitable supports therefor, (not shown), and it is supported in position to be easily removed and replaced when the lower portion thereof, which underlies the lower end of the depending frame-bar a, is released, but inorder to remove the tire it is necessary to release said lower portion and draw it out of engagement with the depending frame-bar a of the carrier. On the bolt which secures the frame-bar a to the lug 0 is loosely fitteda suitably apertured button-like device or cleat E, and the assembled parts are held together by the bolt B and nut 12, so that by removing the nut the cleat may be removed and thereupon the lower portion of a tire to be secured on the carrier may be shoved under the lower end of the framebar a, or a tire to be removed may be drawn toward the person desiring to remove the same from under the lower end of the frame bar a, and the tire may then be lifted from its supports and removed. When the. tire and rim are properly positioned on the carrier with the bolt B inserted through an aperture in theframe-bar a and the registering aperture in the lug c, the cleat E being also fitted on the bolt and secured thereon by means of the nut Z), the tire may be locked to the carrier by means of a padlock having a peculiarly formed shackle forming a part of my improved safety device, which comprises a combination of elements including in connection with a spare tlre carrier of known form, having an arm orframe-bar of oblong form n cross sectlon provided at its free end with means for attaching thereto a locking device, a padlock having a shackle of peculiarform' with an enlarged head-portion adapted to embrace the framebar and straight end-portions adapted for insertion inparallel holes through a case of comparatively small size containing suitable locking mechanism for engagement with the limbs of the shackle so as to prevent it from being-withdrawn without the intervention of a key or suitablemeans "for disengaging the locking mechanism with the shackle arms. The shackle is of the peculiar form shown, having substantially parallel free end portions which are brought comparatively close togetherto 'permitthe use of a small case containing the locking 'mechanism, while'the head-portion is enlarged so that the' distance between the upper portions of the two limbs is much greater than the distance between the "free end portions thereof, thus adapting the shackle to be applied so as'to embrace/a frame-bar or greater width butless thickness than-the distance between the parallelend portions of the shackle, with said end portions extendingfrom saidbar substantially at right angles to the longer si'des' thereof, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings;

said end portions being adapted to straddle the i 'ame-bar, whenarrangedparallel with said longer sides, as shown in Fig. 2, and moved intothe position shown inFigB, in which position'the free end portion '7 of the shackle may be inserted inan aperture in the cleat E, while the enlargedhead-portion of'the shackle closely embraces the frame- "baiyand thereuponthe limbs of the shackle are inserted in the case F "and the latter shoved up tightly against the cleat, thereby drawing the fstraig'ht'end head-portion ofthe shackle tightly against the rear side of the frame-bar and forcing the case tightly against the button like device or cleat E so as to firinlysecure'the assembled parts together with "the enlarged head-portion of the shackle fitting closely around thefrainebar, so as to render dillicult for 'athief to insert a jimmybr other tool b'etween'the head-portion oftlie shaekle'and the framebar for the purpose of breaking the lock and forcibly withdrawing the shackle from the ease. The cleat,as' shownfhas an aperture in each end thereof and may be easily turned to bring the aperture at either end into position for inserting-the end portion f or the shackle therein, and when the parts are properly "assembled and secured together as described it is necessary to unlock and withdraw the shackle before the tire canberemoved from the carrier.

By reasonofthe peculiar shape of the shackle, it is not only adapted'to'be applied to and to hug or fit closely'aroundaframebar of oblongrectangular for in cross-section, and thusr'ender it difiicult to wrestit from its mooringsby means of 'a'tool of suliicient size and tensile "strength, but it has the advantage of possessing greatst1'en'gtl1,'while p'erinittingthe use therewith of a case'of much smaller siz'ethan would ordinarily be'required for "a shackle of the same size and strength. I

It will be understood of course that while my improved safety device is designed and adapted for use in securinetiresto spare tire carriers, so as to serve not only as a means for preventing a tire from being stolen, but as a preventive means against the tire becoming loosened and jarred oil the rack while the auton'iebile is travelling over rough roads, it may be applied to various ether'uses;

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desireto secure by'llettersPatent ol the UnitedStates is: v 1. In eonihi including a bar oloblongform in cross-sec tion having m1 *apertured end-portion; a tire havinga metal rim provided with an "apertured' lug and a fastening bolt inserted in the apertures in said bar and lug for securing them together, a padlock "for securing said tire to said carrier,' "comprising a case havingspaced holes therethrough and a shackle having ahenlarged head portion and two limbs inserted in said holes; one of said limbs being straight and the other crooked; said crooked limb having a substantially straight free endpo'i'tion extending substantially parallel with the-f ee'end of said'straight limban'd'curved outwardly from said free end-portion and 'theninwardly in a"reverse curve and Inerg- 'ing in a substantially straight "head portion 'uniting'the two limbsot'the shackle substantially at right angles "to said straight linib whereby the shackle is adapted to straddle a bar of greater width but less thickness tha'nf the distance between the t'ree 'endportion's of said limbs with said 'itre'e end portion's extending substantially parallel with the flat sides of the bar andto 'be turned 'soth'at's'aid limbs will extend sub stantially at right angles to saidflat sides while the enlarged 'head' portion of the shackle is caused to embrace said bar with "its straight head "portion 'fitt'ing snugly against oneof the'flat sides'ot said bar substantially at right anglesto its sl'iorter sides or edges.

2. l'n'coinbination with a spare tire carrier having a frame-bar of oblong form in cross section and a tire mounted thereon having a metal rim provided with apertured lugs, and means for securing said framebar to one of said lugs, a cleat detachably secured to said securing means, and'a padlock for locking said tire to said carrier; saidpadlock comprising a case having parallel holes therethrough and locking mecha- 'nism*therein and a shackle havingan enlarged head-portion embracing said bar and two limbs inserted through the holes in said base; one'ofsaid limbs being-straight its entire length a'nd'the other extending substantially parallel with said straight limb the greater part of its length and being then curved outwardly and then inwardly in a reverse curve and merging in a substantially straight head-portion uniting it with said straight limb substantially at right angles thereto; one limb of the shackle being inserted through an aperture in said cleat and the straight head-portion thereof fitting snugly against one of the longer sides of said bar substantially at right angles to the straight end-portions of the shackle, the latter extending substantially parallel with the two shorter sides -of the bar.

in combination with a spare tire carrier and a tire mounted thereon having a metal rim provided with apertured lugs; said carrier having a frame-bar of oblong form in cross section with one end secured to one of said lugs an apertured cleat pivotally secured to the last named lug, and a padlock comprising a case having parallel holes therethrough and locking mechanism therein and a shackle having an enlarged head-portion and two limbs inserted through the holes in said case; said enlarged head portion embracing said bar and one of said limbs being inserted through an aperture in said cleat; one of said limbs being straight its entire length and the other having its free end-portion extending substantially parallel with said straight limb the greater part ct its length and being then curved outwardly and then inwardly in a reverse 4. In combination with a spare tire carrier and a tire mounted thereon having a metal rim provided with an apertured lug; said carrier having a frame bar of oblong torm in cross section with one end secured to said lug an apertured cleat pivotally attached to said lug, and a padlock comprising a case having parallel holes therethrough and a shackle having two limbs inserted through said holes; said shackle having an enlarged head-portion embracing said frame-bar and having one of its limbs inserted through an aperture in said cleat; one or said limbs being straight its entire length and the other having its free end-portion extending substantially parallel with said straight limb the greater part of its length, and being then curved outwardly and then inwardly in a reverse curve and merging in a substantially straight head-portion uniting it with said straight limb substantially at right angles thereto; one of said limbs having spaced notches therein, and means Within said case for releasably engaging said notches and locking the shackle to the case.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

HENRY H. HANTON.- 

